Stuffing Muffins

Stuffing Muffins are a delicious and fun rendition of traditional Thanksgiving stuffing. This small batch version is filled with crumbled Italian sausage, toasted sourdough bread, autumnal herbs and chicken broth. Perfect for a smaller gathering! 

It’s no secret that this year Thanksgiving may look a bit different for all of us. Smaller gathers, less traveling and perhaps smaller portions of side dishes? This is where stuffing muffins come into play! They’re like a smaller version of regular stuffing.

Stuffing Muffins

Ok I know that you can see the photos but I want to explain stuffing muffins vs. regular stuffing and why these are stellar and deserve a place on your Thanksgiving dinner table. Firstly, they are cute. They are muffins! Aesthetically, they are worthy! 

I like that they’re sort of crunchy on the outside and soft and moist on the interior. The smell and taste of Thanksgiving is the combination of chicken/poultry with fresh thyme. Do not @ me about this. It’s just the truth. It screams fall! I love it so much. 

The added egg, binds them into muffin form so they don’t fall apart. They reheat like a dream, too. 

How to Make Stuffing Muffins

1. Start by toasting the bread. I love buying sour dough that’s sliced because it ends up being the perfect small cube. Very ideal! And the sourdough adds a nice dimension of flavor. 
2. Cook the Italian sausage in the pan until it’s browned. Remove it and then add the onions and celery. We really want to slowly cook these so they melt into the olive oil. Add the sage and thyme. Then add the salt and pepper. I like to add a decent amount of pepper in these muffins because I think it adds a nice flavor. 
3. In a big bowl, add the cubed bread, the onion mixture, the crumbled and cooked sausage and then mix it all together. We are going to taste test it right now for salt BEFORE we add the egg. Important step! Add the appropriate amount of salt to taste. 
4. And then add in the beaten egg. This will help bind the muffins. Give it a good mix and then pack the muffin tins with the stuffing mixture.
5. I ended up with 9 stuffing muffins. 
6. Transfer to the oven to bake. When they’re all done, run a butter knife along the inside edge of the muffin tin and remove them. Serve them warm! 

Tips and Tricks 

• To Make Ahead – Thanksgiving is the holiday of reheating things. I understand. We’re all trying to time manage correctly. I like to make these and keep them covered in foil before serving. You can loosely wrap them in foil and pop them in a 300F oven to warm them up. Variations –
• If you don’t want to make these vegetarian, simply skip the Italian sausage and use organic vegetable broth (ALDI sells a delicious variety of this). 
• Different fillings – I wouldn’t get too wild with the additions because you really do want them to hold together but feel free to add bacon or pancetta. 

If you make these, let me know on Instagram! 

5 from 10 votes

Print Recipe

Stuffing Muffins

Author: Adrianna Adarme

Stuffing Muffins are a delicious and fun rendition of traditionalThanksgiving stuffing. This small batch version is filled with crumbled Italian sausage, toasted sourdough bread, autumnal herbs and chicken broth. Perfect for a smaller gathering! 

Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Thanksgiving

Keyword: small batch stuffing, stuffing muffins, thanksgiving mashed potatoes

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Serving Size: 9

Ingredients

• 6 1/2 cups white bread cubed (about 1 loaf)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 5 ounces Italian sausage removed from casing
• 1 cup small yellow onion finely diced
• 3 celery stalks thinly sliced
• Kosher salt
• 6 large fresh sage leaves chopped
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 eggs lightly beaten

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Thoroughly butter or grease the muffin tin and set aside.
• In a single layer, place the bread cubes on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes, or until barely toasted. Remove and set aside.
• In a medium skillet, set over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the Italian sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook it until browned and thoroughly cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer to a small bowl.
• Turn the heat to medium-low and if needed, add a teaspoon or two more of olive oil. Add the diced onion and celery, adding a few pinches of salt and cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the sage and thyme and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, along with a few more pinches of salt and about 10 rounds of freshly ground pepper.
• Add the toasted bread crumbs to a large bowl, along with the Italian sausage, cooked onion mixture and chicken broth; mix it until thoroughly combined. Do a taste test? Does it need a bit more salt? If it’s good, pour in the beaten eggs and mix one last time until combined.
• Using a tablespoon, transfer mounds of the stuffing mixture to each muffin tin. Be sure to tightly pack the stuffing in each of the muffin cups. This will make sure the mixture adheres to itself and the muffins don’t fall apart. You’ll end up with 9 stuffing muffins.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, until top is browned. To remove, take a butter knife and go around each of the stuffing muffins’ outer edge. Using your knife, gently lift it up out of the muffin tins. Serve warm.

Notes

Tips and Tricks: 

• To Make Ahead – Thanksgiving is the holiday of reheating things. I understand. We’re all trying to time manage correctly. I like to make these and keep them covered in foil before serving. You can loosely wrap them in foil and pop them in a 300F oven to warm them up. 
• Variations – If you want to make these vegetarian, simply skip the Italian sausage and use organic vegetable broth. 
• Different fillings – I wouldn’t get too wild with the additions because you really do want them to hold together but feel free to add bacon or pancetta. 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 9g | Calories: 77kcal (4%) | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 4g (8%) | Fat: 6g (9%) | Saturated Fat: 2g (13%) | Cholesterol: 48mg (16%) | Sodium: 138mg (6%) | Potassium: 76mg (2%) | Sugar: 1g (1%) | Vitamin A: 59IU (1%) | Vitamin C: 1mg (1%) | Calcium: 8mg (1%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)

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